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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. present — a gift
  5. ground — crushed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. firm — steady
  8. capital — a city
  9. root — the cause
  10. present — there
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — the earth
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. firm — decided
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — a position
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. capital — money
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com